Teacher Professional Development

“Everyone who remembers his/her education remembers teachers, not methods and technique. The teacher is the heart of the educational system.” – Sidney Hook

We know that the teacher is the most important resource in places where children have no textbooks, no infrastructure, and or role models to emulate. When teachers become agents of change, even a child of a vulnerable peasant in a rural community can rise to become a President. Data has consistently shown us that many learners in school are not learning – they are left far behind. Yet, those who are learning are not acquiring the skills they need for their present and future needs. As JMERC, we consider this a huge educational challenge that requires immediate attention.

For this reason, we provide teachers with professional development support so that they create learning environments that nurture learners’ Social and Emotional Skills (SES); create learning environments that are inclusive, gender-responsive (transformative), and learner-centred. We support teachers to plan and deliver classroom lessons that yield high-order thinking skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving skills and to prepare and use tools that assess these skills. To improve learning outcomes, we support teachers with the knowledge and tools to use learning assessment (data) to inform classroom activities, ensuring that no learner is left behind and that every child learns and achieves their full potential. In this way, instead of adjusting teaching to the curriculum level, we support teachers to adjust their lessons to the learning level and needs of the learners – teaching at the right level.